Favorite TN slang (Jackson, Gainesboro: home, school, relocate)

[bam531]

Here's one I heard when I first moved here " Wanna go to the store and get a dope?" I thought " cool they sell dope in the stores down here!" ( don't ask, long time ago, I'm not like that anymore ...honest!) When we got to the store the guy behind the counter ask my fried if he wanted it in a poke or not. In other words, we bought a 2 liter Pepsi and the guy wanted to know if we wanted it in a bag. Some of the older people ( my in-laws) still use the term poke ( meaning bag) took awhile to get used to that!!

[bbkaren]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

Yes. Some of those saying are familiar to me, too. I guess it's because I come from a small town in New England. Makes sense.

I always found the saying, "when Hannah was a pup" to be cute, as in "I haven't seen him since Hannah was a pup."

I always wondered who is Hannah and her pup!

Anyone ever hear that one?

Yep, but for us it was "Hector"! lol

[Bear Creek]

I like " I didn't take ya to raise." Or my motto, '" Remember, it's never to late to do nothin' about it." I use Microsoft "Winders." "Your heart may belong to the Lord, but the rest of ye belongs to me." [that might be a song title] I like the term/word "shaw." Shaw means really, as in "really is that true."

[GrannyLois]

Originally Posted by JMT

.... brought to the US by English and Scottish settlers. For some reason, Northerners don't use it that much anymore, but they still use it in the South as well as in certain parts of England and Scotland, and the meaning today is the same as it was in the Middle Ages. The word "yonder" is also used in several scriptures in the King James version of the Old and New Testaments.

I read once that a lot of Appalachian colloquisms (north and especially south) are derivatives of the Scottish Highlanders' language, they were many of the original European settlers here. This made a lot of sense to me, and changed my attitude to one of respect for the heritage.

Right now, I'm reading Diana Gabaldon's first book (The Outlander) and the language from 1741 in Scotland is slightly reminiscent of what I sometimes hear here.

The book 'Christy' by Catherine Marshall tells a story of east Tennessee in 1920 which also gives appreciation for the language and culture (albeit almost a century ago - but the remnants of the heritage are still experienced.)

[JMT]

Originally Posted by GrannyLois

I read once that a lot of Appalachian colloquisms (north and especially south) are derivatives of the Scottish Highlanders' language, they were many of the original European settlers here. This made a lot of sense to me, and changed my attitude to one of respect for the heritage.

Right now, I'm reading Diana Gabaldon's first book (The Outlander) and the language from 1741 in Scotland is slightly reminiscent of what I sometimes hear here.

The book 'Christy' by Catherine Marshall tells a story of east Tennessee in 1920 which also gives appreciation for the language and culture (albeit almost a century ago - but the remnants of the heritage are still experienced.)

I agree, that really made me appreciate some of the more interesting hillbilly phrases, too. I think it's fascinating to study word origins and see how the original settlers to the Tennessee/North Carolina mountains kept many of the colloquial expressions that became lost back in England and Scotland.

[FL_TN_Nana]

Originally Posted by GoingtoPA

How about "Uuu-ens" that means all of you. Uuu-en come on in here.
Another one is "I don't care to do that" this means they will do what you ask of them.
Where I am from in the South Carolina-South that would mean that you did NOT want to do what they ask
I have lived in TN for the past 13 years and I still can't grab those....That meaning that I can't get accustom to those sayings.
This is wonderful.....it take alot of the best people to make up this wonderful WORLD that we live in.

I thought youens (Uuu-ens) was a northern term! I grew up in TN and never heard it used. "Don't care if I do" -- substitute the word "mind" -- "Don't mind if I do -- have another helping of mashed potatoes!" Maybe that will help you remember...

Do you ever hear people use the word "Heared" instead of "heard?" I heard that quite frequently growing up - sounded weird even then!

[tnvolfan1971]

I have one for you. I am from East TN, but now living in TX and I get teased by my co-workers when I refer to my children or anyone elses children as "young-uns" (not sure if it's spelled right). I love my Southern slang and so do most of my collegues, especially my Canadian friends. I can remeber the first time one of them heard me say "Dag-nab-it". He asked what it meant and I told him it was a polite way of cursing. He loved it.

[GoingtoPA]

Originally Posted by FL_TN_Nana

I thought youens (Uuu-ens) was a northern term! I grew up in TN and never heard it used. "Don't care if I do" -- substitute the word "mind" -- "Don't mind if I do -- have another helping of mashed potatoes!" Maybe that will help you remember...

Do you ever hear people use the word "Heared" instead of "heard?" I heard that quite frequently growing up - sounded weird even then!

I have family in Norhtern New Jersey and I have never heard it used there. It is "you-guys". We used the word "mind" in SC.

I have not heard the word heared in TN however I did hear it in SC.

I plan to move to Pa or New Jersey soon. I hope to expand my vocabulary....LOL

[hiknapster]

I just love the phrasing...

Instead of saying, "You went there, didn't you?"

You say, "Did you not go there?"

[AppalachianAngler]

Originally Posted by FL_TN_Nana

I thought youens (Uuu-ens) was a northern term! I grew up in TN and never heard it used. "Don't care if I do" -- substitute the word "mind" -- "Don't mind if I do -- have another helping of mashed potatoes!" Maybe that will help you remember...

Do you ever hear people use the word "Heared" instead of "heard?" I heard that quite frequently growing up - sounded weird even then!

Yep - heard that growing up along with other similar ones like "twiced" for twice.

As far as the Youens argument. I always heard it in East TN as "Y'uns," but up in some of the rural areas of PA they say "You-ins." Hard to describe the difference.